Suction cleaner nozzle support



. April 14, 1959 J. E. DUFF 's'uc'rxqN CLEANER nozzmz: SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1954 Fig.

April 14, 1959 J. E. DU'FF suo'rrou CLEANER NOZZLE SUPPORT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed'Dec. 2, 1954 I J. EQDUFF- SUCTION CLEANER NOZZLE SUPPORT April 14, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 2, 1954 States Patent 2,881,465 SUCTION CLEANER NOZZLE SUPPORT Jack E. Duff, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 2, 1954, Serial No. 472,615 3 Claims. (Cl. -360) and the nozzle to support the weight of the latter. An-

other object is to provide a suction cleaner having a pivotally mounted nozzle connected to the cleaner propelling handle and a device for maintaining a constant lifting force at the nozzle in all operative positions of the. propelling handle. A further object is to provide a suction cleaner wherein the cleaner nozzle is supported to obtain substantially a zero vertical force of the nozzle against the carpet surface. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings'wherein:

Figure 1 is a section alongthe line 11 of Figure 2 showing the handle in storage position,

ldigure 2 is a section along the line 22 in Figure 1, an

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing in full lines the handle at the lower end of its inclined working position, and in dotted lines arranged in a horizontal operating position.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a suction cleaner body 10, having a nozzle 11 at its forward end provided with a perimeter surface engaging lip 12 communicating with an unshown fan chamber from which dirt-laden air is discharged through an exhaust passageway 13 into a dirt filtering bag 14 removably attached by a clamp 15 to the body 10. A housing 16 encloses a motor 17 mounted on a wall 18 of the body and drives an unshown fan in the fan chamber to create suction in the nozzle 11 for removing dirt from the carpet 19 and expelling the dirt through the exhaust passageway 13 into the bag 14. At the rear end of the cleaner body 10 is a pair of Wheels 20 each rotatably mounted on a pin 21. secured to a bracket 22 forming part of the body. The wheels 20' support the rear end of the cleaner body on the surface 19 and the body is pivotally mounted on an axis passing through the pins 21-21.

A propelling handle 23 is provided at its lower end with a bail 24 pivotally mounted on pins 25-25 supported in brackets 2626 depending from the body 10, and a spring 27 at the upper end of the handle 23 supports the bag 14. The pivotal axis of the handle 23 is defined by the pins 25 and is; arranged vertically above the pivotal axis of the clean ter body 10. If desired the handle 23 may be pivoted. concentric with the pivotal axis of the cleaner body.

The handle 23 is maintained in d ,ifierent adjusted posi- Patented Apr. 14, 1959 ice tions by a sector 28 cooperating with a lever 29. The sector 28 is attached at 30 to the arm 31 of the handle bail 24 and at the lower end is provided with a locking recess 32 representing the handle storage position, a surface 33 extending from the recess 32 to a shoulder 34 defines the upper inclined operating range of handle movement, and a surface 35 from the shoulder 34 permits movement of the handle in its lower inclined operating range. The lever 29 is pivotally mounted at its forward end by a pin 36 supported in a bracket 37, and at its rear end is provided with a lug 38 at all times biased into engagement with the lower end of the sector 28 by a torsion spring 39 about the pin 36'. Extending laterally from the lever 29 between the opposite ends thereof is an arm 40 provided with a pad 41 to receive the operators foot for depressing the end of lever 29 out of engagement with the sector 28 against the force of the torsion spring 39.

The body portion forwardly of the rear wheels 20 is supported by a helical tension spring 43 having one end 44 attached to a hook 45 adjustably mounted by a nut 46 to a post 47 upstanding from the body 10, and the rear end 48 of the spring 43 is secured by a screw 49 to one end of a cam member 50 mounted by bolts 51 to the arm 52 of the handle bail 24. The spring is partly within the motor housing 16 and projects through an elongated opening 52 for attachment to the'cam member 50 which projects through a' slot 53 in the body wall 18 when the handle is in its storage position shown in Figure 1.

Extending between the opposite ends of the member 50 is a cam surface 55 which is arcuate in cross section as indicated at 56 to provide a seat for the spring 43 when the handle 23 is pivoted with respect to the body 10. When the handle 23 is in its storage position shown in Figure 1 the supporting spring 43 rests on the portion 58 of the cam surface 55 and is not tensioned, whereby the nozzle lip 12 rests on the surface 19 to support the weight of the body forwardly of its pivotal axis.

In order to compensate for the variable nozzle lifting force exerted by the spring 43 as its tension is increased and decreased upon ciprocation of the handle 23 th gh its operating ranges, the cam surface 55 along which the spring 43 rides is so contoured that the effective lever arms, as indicated for example at R and R' in Figure 3, between the handle pivot 25 and the center of the spring axis is altered so the lifting force of the spring remains fixed to support the weight of the nozzle and maintain the latter at a constant height with respect to the surface being cleaned for all operating positions of the handle.

When the handle 23 is moved out of storage position the cam surface 55 places sufficient tension on the spring 43 to raise the nozzle lip 12 to its optimum position from the carpet 19 against the force of suction, and thus the actual resultant pressure of the nozzle lip 12 against the surface of the carpet 19 is reduced to substantially that created by the suction in restricting movement of the nozzle along the surface of the carpet 19, accordingly the cleaner is easily propelled over the carpet.

When the handle 23 is in its storage position shown in Figure 1 the end 38 of the lever 29 is seated in the recess 32 by the torsion spring 39 to lock the handle 23 relative to the body so that the cleaner can be carried from place to place. In this position of the handle 23 and the cam 55 the tension on the spring 43 is such that the nozzle 12 is supported on the surface 19.

In order to shift the handle 23 into its upper inclined operating range the operator places her foot on the pad 41 to move the lever 29 out of the recess 32 whereby the handle can be freely reciprocated through an angle of about 45 degrees as defined by the shoulder 34 and the recess 32 on the sector 28, and the end 38 of the lever is biased against the surface 33 by the torsion spring 39.

Upon initially moving the handle out of its storage position the spring 43 is elongated to increase its tension and p y Hitt ng o c t he nozz e o el the I 9 21 H9 12.13 m the carpet 19,, and the force. of suction rais the carpet 119, as indicated at 60 in Figure 3, into engagement with the nozzle lip 12. The nozzle position remains unaltered during movement of the handle 23 in its upper inclined operating range since the cam surface 55 is. contoured to alter the effective lever arm R between the handle pivot 21 and the central axis of the spring 43 to compensate for the varied tension in the spring and thus its lifting force on the nozzle 11.

The handle 23 is moved to its lower inclined operating range by depressing the lever 29 and the lifting force of the spring 43 remainscQnStant due 'to the contour of the cam surface which compensates for the varied lifting power; of the spring 43 as, it is elongated and contracted.

From the foregoing it will perceived I have provided a suction cleaner wherein the nozzle weight is supported solely by resilient means connected to the handle, and the cam surface compensates for the various lifting forces of thespring upon movement of the handle so that the nozzle is maintained in a constant position with respect to the carpet'to reduce to a minimum the pressure of the nozzle lip against the carpet 19.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having a nozzle at its forward end, means toward the rear end of said body pivotally supporting the latter and its nozzle relative to the surfacebeing cleaned, a propelling handle pivotally mounted adjacent the pivotal axis of said body, resilient means connecting said forward end of said body to said handle above its pivot point and exerting a lifting force to support the forward weight of said body, the tension in said resilient means varying depending upon the position of said handle relative to said body, and compensating means responsive to pivotal movement of said handle to compensate for the varied tension exerted by said resilient connecting means during movement of said handle to dilferent positions to thereby maintain the effective lifting force constant.

2. A suction cleani lt tool as, described in claim. 1, and said eompensating means comprising cam means. movable with said handle and engagingsaid resilient means;

3. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having a nozzle at its forward end, means. toward the rear of said body pivotally supporting the latter and its nozzle, a propelling handle pivotally mounted adjacent the pivotal axis of said body, additional nozzle supporting means including resilient means connected to said forward end of said body and to said handle above its.pivot point. and exerting a lifting force to support said nozzle relative to the surface to be cleaned, and said additional nozzle supporting means including means responsive to pivotal movement of said handle to maintain the nozzle lifting force constant during movement of saidhandle to different positions and thus said nozzle in one position. relative to the surface being cleaned.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 838,290 Westtnan Dec. 11, 1906 1,265,789 Kirby May 14, 1918 1,286,115 Rosenfield Nov. 26, 1918 1,421,958 Kirby July 4, 1922; 1,642,518 Throop Sept. 13, 1927- 1,856,133 McClatchie- May 3, 1932 1,937,765 Leathers Dec. 5, 1933 1,995,084 Wiehle' Mar. 19, 1935 2,361,909 Bernal' Nov. 7, 1944' FOREIGN: PATENTS 613,009 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1948 

